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CHL Colorado Eagles

Colorado Eagles Weekly Update

January 10, 2011 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Colorado Eagles News Release


Week in Review

Wednesday, January 5; 8 p.m. Start Sat. - Mini of Loveland Bootgating Party Starts at 7

Eagles Fans,

Saturday night's game against the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs will start one hour later than usual (at 8:05 p.m.). Once doors open at 7, you'll be able to take part in the nation's largest tailgating party as Mini of Loveland will be celebrating "Bootgate 2011."

"Boot" is the British term for trunk, and at this tailgating party, Mini of Loveland will be featuring the all new Mini Countryman. To help fans get in the mood for the game, food & drink specials will be offered at the Water Valley Tap (on the concourse behind Section M), and tailgating games will be set up on the concourse with prizes awarded to winners!

Come be a part of both the largest tailgating party in the nation and the largest crowd to ever come through the Budweiser Events Center in a single day!

Bootgating Specials & Activities:

First 2,000 fans in the doors will get a FREE piece of pizza

$4 domestic beers (12 oz.) at the Water Valley Tap

$2 fountain drinks

$2.50 popcorn

Beanbag-toss

RC-Mini races

Wednesday, January 5; Win Prizes With Autographed EaglesINSIDERs in January

Eagles Fans,

Be sure to pick up one of the FREE EaglesINSIDER game programs at each game this season. In addition to a new slim and sleek design, the monthly editions give you more-current information and news about the team. And in January, we'll be sneaking in a couple of autographed issues into distribution each game, giving you a chance at great prizes!

One of the best new features of the EaglesINSIDER is an exclusive Player Poster inside the center spread. On the opposite side of the poster you can find the entire team's roster. Take a peek at each this month, and if yours is signed, you could win a season-long parking pass, or an autographed, framed photo of an Eagles star!

If you've got an EaglesINSIDER with an autographed Player Poster of Team Roster page, bring it to Guest Services (behind Section P) to redeem it for your prize!

New EaglesINSIDER Features:

Player Poster

Up-to-Date Content

Autograph Pages (perfect for post-game autograph sessions every Sat.)

Monthly Feature Stories

Friday, January 7; Allen Doubles Up Colorado in 6-3 Win

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles fell 6-3 to the CHL's top team, the Allen Americans. Despite a solid effort all-around for the home team, the Americans scored on 25 percent of their shots to claim an opportunistic victory in a hard-fought contest. The game was a stark contrast to the teams' record-tying 11-6 wide open affair last Saturday night.

Colorado out-shot Allen 10-7 in an intense first period, but LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles fell 6-3 to the CHL's top team, the Allen Americans. Despite a solid effort all-around for the home team, the Americans scored on 25 percent of their shots to claim an opportunistic victory in a hard-fought contest. The game was a stark contrast to the teams' record-tying 11-6 wide open affair last Saturday night. Colorado out-shot Allen 10-7 in an intense first period, but Adrien LeMay made several solid stops and the Americans were opportunistic with their chances, netting three goals in the first 10:33. Former Eagle Erik Adams got the game's first goal at 3:28 when Nino Musitelli found him from behind the net for a one-timer low in the right circle that got past Kyle Jones' glove.

At 5:48, Colton Yellow Horn made it 2-0 after coming down the right wing and cutting to the middle of the ice as two of his teammates continued toward the net. The open ice allowed for the All-Star forward to snap a shot top shelf from the hashmarks. Allen made it 3-0 midway through the period -- on their final shot of the frame -- after Kip Brennan collected a Tobias Whelan rebound on the doorstep and slid it past Colorado's All-Star goalie.

The Eagles used two power plays in the second half of the first period to control much of the play, and with just 4.2 seconds left in frame they converted on their second man-advantage chance to get on the scoreboard before intermission. On the goal, Kyle Peto held the puck in at the left point and threw it on net where Steve Haddon collected the rebound on the doorstep and backhanded a shot past LeMay's left leg.

Colorado carried momentum into the early part of the second period, and at 4:24, Riley Nelson cut Allen's lead to 3-2. On the play, Brett Thurston's lead pass just missed the Eagles' captain and slid toward LeMay's net. As the goalie reached out to freeze the puck to the left of the crease, Nelson -- who never quit on the play -- thrust his stick at the puck and was able to knock it under the netminder and just across the goal line.

Just under a minute later, Colorado had a tying goal waived off when a quick whistle from Dan Dreger negated a Dylan Stanley score on another botched freeze by LeMay. Instead, it was Allen that got the next goal, making it 4-2 at 8:59 on a great individual play by Judd Blackwater. Blackwater stickhandled through the Eagles' zone and sent a late backdoor pass to Jarret Lukin for an easy tap-in.

The Eagles again came out strong to start the third, before a late surge by the Americans put the game out of reach. At 14:04, Whelan made it 5-2 after Yellow Horn came down the left wing and sent the puck on net from the midboards for a deflection from in close. And at 15:40 Dave Bonk made it 6-2 by one-timing an across-the-grain feed from Lukin inside the right circle.

Just 29 seconds later, Daymen Rycroft tied Kevin Ulanski for the team lead in goals with a rocket off a faceoff win in the left circle of the offensive zone. But it was too little, too late for the Eagles who remain in fourth place -- just three points behind first-place Bloomington -- in the Turner Conference.

Saturday, January 8; Eagles Blast 'Bugs, 6-1

LOVELAND, Colo. - The Colorado Eagles defeated the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs, 6-1, earning a five-goal win against the team with the second-best record in the CHL one week after doing the same against the team with the best record (the Allen Americans). Andrew Penner backstopped the win, improving to 4-0-0 lifetime in the regular season against the 'Bugs, while Steve Haddon continued his five-game point streak with a season-high four points (2-2-4) in the victory.

Colorado controlled much of the first period -- out-scoring Bossier-Shreveport 15-8 -- and winning the special teams battle against the team with the top-ranked penalty kill and second-ranked power play in the league.

The Eagles got into penalty trouble early, but were able to kill three penalties -- including 1:36 of 5-on-3 play -- in the first five minutes of the frame. The 'Bugs got half of their total shots in the period during the early man-advantage span, as Colorado took control after that.

Colorado got on the board first at 14:24 -- taking advantage of their first power play -- when Adam Hogg skated down the left wing, curled at the bottom of the circle and found Haddon for a one-timer from inside the circle.

The Mudbugs tied the game at 1 with their own power-play goal just over a minute and a half later when David Rutherford sent a pass from the left dot to Jim Jorgensen at the right dot for a one-timer past Penner. The score came with a delayed call coming from referee Dan Dreger, putting the 'Bugs on another immediate power play.

But after Bossier-Shreveport was called for a penalty, putting the teams even at four players aside, Joe Grimaldi put the Eagles back on top at 17:33. Off the ensuing faceoff in the left circle of Colorado's offensive zone, Haddon won the puck back to Grimaldi who gloved it out of the air and skated to the point before blasting a shot past Brian Foster.

The Eagles continued their strong play in the second period, out-shooting Bossier-Shreveport 19-10 and out-scoring them 2-0 in the frame. At 6:55, Haddon found Kevin Ulanski with a pass from the left midboards and Ulanski skated to the slot before backhanding a shot past the 'Bugs goalie.

Penner continued his confident play at the other end of the ice, robbing Steven Crampton on a power-play chance midway through the second stanza, moving right to left and snaring his shot from low in the circle. And with just under two minutes to play in the period, Ulanski won a battle for the puck at the right point of Colorado's offensive zone and found Daymen Rycroft for a sharp angle one-timer placed top-shelf from below the right circle. The Eagles took that 4-1 lead into the second intermission.

The 'Bugs out-shot Colorado 9-7 in the final frame but Penner stopped them all, and the Eagles' power play notched two goals on a five minute major to stretch their lead to 6-1. Penner's best save of the period came 4:30 in when he snared a shot from the low slot. And at 7:05 and 8:23, Riley Nelson and Haddon scored on the man-advantage with a snap-shot from the right circle and a bank-shot off the left post respectively.

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, Jan. 12; 2011 CHL All-Star Game (CHL All-Stars vs. Rapid City Rush)

The Eagles will have two representatives at this week's All-Star Game, as goalie Kyle Jones was voted the All-Star team's starter and Equipment Manager Tony Deynzer earned the honor by being named the league's best at his job last season. This year's All-Star Game will be played in Rapid City, with the host Rush taking on the All-Star team, continuing the trend Colorado started in 2009 and South Texas carried on last season. The host team has defeated the All-Star team by a total of 17-8 since the CHL adopted the unconventional format.

Friday, Jan. 14 & Saturday, Jan. 15; Eagles Look to Re-Gain Dominance Over Odessa at Home

The Odessa Jackalopes come to the Budweiser Events Center for a pair of games this weekend, one of three weekend sets between the two teams this season (two at the BEC). The last time the 'Jacks were in town they picked up their first ever win at the BEC (3-2 in overtime), leaving the Eagles with an all-time home record of 10-0-1 against Odessa. The teams will meet a total of seven times this season, and so far the Eagles are 2-0-1, out-scoring Odessa 15-8. All-time, Colorado is 14-3-2 against the 'Jacks, out-scoring them 76-60.

Notable Numbers

TOUGH STRETCH - The Eagles are in the midst of arguably their toughest stretch of games in team history. In all, they'll have 10 games in a row against teams with at least a .544 winning percentage, each among the league's top-8. All six of the teams they'll face during the stretch are among the top four in their respective conference. Colorado is 4-3-0 so far.

HIGH-5'S - The Eagles' 6-1 win Saturday gave them two 5-goal victories against the CHL's top two teams one week apart (Colorado defeated Allen 11-6 on Jan. 1st). The 5-goal loss was the first for Bossier-Shreveport since the season opener last season, a 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Laredo Bucks on Oct. 16 2009. The Eagles are 3-0-0 in games decided by five or more goals this season.

SPECIAL EFFORT - Heading into last weekend, Colorado was taking on the teams with the top two power plays in the CHL (ALN & BOS), as well as the team with the best penalty-killing record (BOS). After a stellar weekend of special teams, the Eagles now boast the second-best power play in the league -- leapfrogging the 'Bugs -- and their penalty-killers went a combined 11-12 (91.7%).

CALL HIM BUTTER - Steve Haddon is riding a five-game point streak, recording 10 points (5-5-10) in the process. He notched four of those points in Saturday's win against the Mudbugs, a team he'd tallied just two points against in his previous 21 meetings all-time (including playoffs). Speaking of all-time, his recent tear has moved him with three points of Scott Polaski on the Eagles' all-time points list (Polaski sits in 8th place with 162 points).

THEY DON'T BUG HIM - Saturday's win was goaltender Andrew Penner's fourth in a row (his longest winning streak of the season), and improved his all-time record against the 'Bugs in the regular season to 4-0-0. That record goes along with a goals-against average of 1.26 and a save percentage of .964. His next win will give him 60 in his Eagles career; Paulo Colaiacovo is in second place with 43.

Check out the Colorado Eagles Statistics

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Central Hockey League Stories from January 10, 2011


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